Air Springs
The load capacity of an air spring can vary between eighty eight pounds to over eighty eight thousand pounds. Spring load is the amount of weight required to compress the spring to a given height, and is determined by the spring's physical configuration and manipulated by air pressure. Air springs offer many advantages over other spring types; for one, they are extremely durable. The cost of air springs is generally much lower than that of other springs, because they are basically simple plastic balloon structures, with no frills. Air springs are also more compact and do not require lubrication to function, which is a great advantage since that means there will be less friction. Care should be taken to ensure that an air spring does not come into contact with petroleum-based substances, because such substance harms the rubber material that air springs are made of. An
air shock is a major product that involves air springs. Air shocks are installed in large vibratory industrial machines that need shock absorbers, and through their air springs and piston heads they are able to absorb the shock and keep the equipment from movement that might damage it.
Load lifters, rotating machinery and
hydraulic cylinders are other applications that include air springs in their machinery. These rubber
gas springs were however, originally used in vehicles to adjust the suspension of said vehicle, expanding with air to raise it and expelling air to lower the ride to the ground. They still work to adjust suspension only air springs are now better known for being in the hydraulic systems of custom designed cars, able to inflate and deflate at the flip of a switch, which results in a technique known as "hopping". There are two well known styles of air springs; the double convoluted and the tapered sleeve. The double convoluted is designed like a large cup with two bulges, one on top of the other. Steel cups cover the top and bottom of the bag to allow it to be installed between the vehicles suspension components. The size of the double convoluted air spring depends on how much weight it needs to be able to lower and lift. The tapered sleeve is shaped more like a cylinder, and is used in vehicles that have less room surrounding the suspension system. They are able to support more weight then the double convoluted style, but are not able to inflate and deflate quickly or they risk explosion.
